John Laurie: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland Dumfries John Laurie lived from 25 March 1897 to 23 June 1980. He was an actor who is best remembered for his role as Private James Frazer in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline. John Paton Laurie was born in Dumfries, the son of a mill worker. He was educated at Dumfries Academy and would have gone on to train as an architect had he not volunteered for service in World War One. After the war, Laurie trained to become an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and he first acted on stage in 1921. He went on to spend much of the time between 1922 and 1939, playing Shakespearian parts including Hamlet, Richard III and Macbeth at the Old Vic or in Stratford-upon-Avon. He also starred in his friend Laurence Olivier's three Shakespearean films, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955).

He and Olivier also appeared in As You Like It (1936). Another notable pre-war performance was given in Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film The 39 Steps. During the Second World War, John Laurie served in the Home Guard, the only future Dad's Army cast member to do so. He also starred in wartime films such as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), The Way Ahead (1944), and Fanny by Gaslight (1944). He made ten more films after the war, but it was in Dad's Army that he really made his name. 80 episodes were made which were broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. Dad's Army also spawned a radio series, a feature film and a stage show. John Laurie starred as Private James Frazer, a dour Scottish undertaker with the catch-phrase of "We're doomed, I tell ye!" Regularly reaching an audience of 18 million viewers in the 1970s, Dad's Army is still repeated on BBC TV today.

John Laurie died in 1980 at the age of 83 at Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire. fame, famous people, world war two, celebrities, WWII Famous Fighters Many well known personalities of the post war period fought for or served their country during World War Two. Here is some very well known names and their perhaps less well known war service information. Allo Allo Cast - For writer David Croft see below in Dads Army. Carmen Silvera (Edith Artois) (1922-2002) was evacuated to Canada and by total luck was at the last minute before sailing removed from a ship that was torpedoed killing 350 children. Kenneth Connor (Alfonse the undertaker) (1916-1993) served as an infantry gunner in the Middlesex Regiment. Richard Marner (Colonel Kurt Von Strohm) (1921-2003) joined the RAF and served with the Air Training Corp in Southern Africa.

VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Hi de Hi Cast - Talfryn Thomas (1922 - 1982) appeared in Hi de Hi and also played Private Cheeseman in Dads Army was a rear gunner on a Lancaster Bomber and flew many raids. He survived a crash in which all other crew members were killed. Felix Bowness (Fred Quilley the Jockey) (1922 - 2009) was a signalman in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and landed in Normandy on D-Day. His landing craft was hit and sunk, and he was unconscious untill he woke up in a French Convent. Leslie Dwyer (Mr Partridge the punch & judy man) (1906 - 1986) appeared in war time films, including In Which We Serve directed by Noel Coward and assisted by the Ministry of Information. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP The Cast & Writers of Dads Army - As actors in Dad's Army they were portrayed as a group of bungling no-hopers that might struggle to say boo to a goose never mind fight off invading Germans.

However, in real life they had risked all for their country during WW2. Arthur Lowe (Captain Mainwaring) (1915-1982) was a sergeant major in the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry and served in the Middle East. John Le Mesurier (Sergeant Arthur Wilson) (1912-1983) served in India as a Captain in the Royal Tank Regiment. Arnold Ridley (Private Charles Godfrey) (1896-1984) in WW1 had been a Private in the Somerset Light Infantry and sustained serious injuries at the Somme. In 1939 he rejoined the Army as a major and was part of the B.E.F at Dunkirk in 1940. John Laurie (Private James Frazer) (1897-1980) served in the Hon. Artillery Company in WW1 and was the only cast member to have served in the real Home Guard during WW2. Clive Dunn (Corporal Jack Jones) (1920 - 2012) spent four years as a POW in Germany and worked in slave labour camps in Austria.

Bill Pertwee (ARP Warden Hodges) (1926- 2013 ) made parts for Spitfire cannons as a teenager and lost his older brother who was killed when the RAF Whitley Bomber he was piloting crashed near Dortmund in Germany. Edward Sinclair (Church Verger - Maurice Yeatman) (1914-1977) was in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire light Infantry. Talfryn Thomas (1922 - 1982) (Private Cheeseman) was a rear gunner on a Lancaster Bomber and flew many raids. He survived a crash in which all other crew members were killed. The co-writers also both served during WW2. David Croft (1922- ) rose to the rank of major and served in North Africa, Singapore and India and his writing partner Jimmy Perry drew on his memories as a teenager in Watford Home Guard, at 18 he was sent to Burma as part of the Royal Artillery.

(1923 - ) VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Her Majesty The Queen - Stayed in Britain for the duration of the conflict with her family, after they declined a chance to be evacuated to Canada, and towards the end of the war joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, as No. 230873 Second Subaltern Elizabeth Windsor. She trained as a driver and mechanic, drove a military truck, and rose to the rank of Junior Commander. On VE Day the Queen and her sister, Margaret, anonymously mingled with celebrating crowds and later said " I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief." VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Richard Attenborough (Sir) (1923 - 2014) Film director that won two Academy Awards for his film, Ghandi. He joined the RAF during WWII and served in the film unit. He went on several bombing raids over Europe and filmed from action from the rear gunners position. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Matt Busby (Sir) (1909-1994) Lost his father and several uncles in WW1.

He had been playing for Liverpool football club before WW2 began. When war was declared, he joined the Liverpool Kings Regiment and then rose to the rank of Sergeant Major in the Army Physical Training Corp. In 1945 he became manager of Manchester United. Old Trafford was still a bomb site, after taking direct hits by the Luftwaffe in March 1941. He became a legend at the club, surviving the tragic Munich air disaster, which killed many of the 'Busby Babes', his teams won the European Cup, the FA Cup and League a number of times before his retirement in 1969. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Harry Carpenter - (1926-2010) Famous BBC Boxing commentator who for decades commentated on some of the worlds biggest fights. During WW2 he served in the Royal Navy aboard destroyers as a telegraphist from 1941. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Barbara Cartland - (Dame) (1901-2000) Author of 723 romance novels and one of the worlds most prolific writers lost her father in WW1.

In WW2 she lost her two brothers, killed within a day of each other at Dunkirk. One of her brothers that was killed, Ronald, was the sitting M.P for Kings Norton. She served as Chief Lady Officer to the Services in Bedfordshire and an Honorary Junior Commander in the ATS. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Agatha Christie - (Dame) (1890-1976) most famous for her many detective novels and characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, trained as a Red Cross Nurse during WW1 and tended troops coming back from the trenches. She then trained as a pharmacy assistant at the hospital in Devon. During WW2, she worked in Blitz hit London as a pharmacy assistant at University College Hospital, where she acquired a good knowledge of poisons which featured in many of her novels. She is the worlds biggest selling author with 4 billion books sold, second only to the bible! VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP , listen to BBC AUDIO HERE Tommy Cooper - (1921-1984) Comedian. He was called up in 1940 and served as a trooper in the Royal Horse Guards and was part of the Desert Rats in the North Africa campaign.

It was in Egypt entertaining troops as part of NAAFI, where he acquired his trademark 'Fez' hat, after taking it from a waiter to much hilarity from the audience. VIE W YOUTUBE CLIP Roald Dahl - (1916-1990) Famous childrens author that wrote the Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory etc. Joined the RAF in Nairobi and out of the 20 men he trained with was one of 3 survivors of the war. Crashed in a Gladiator bi-plane in North Africa and smashed his nose, fractured his skull and was blind for many weeks. Returned to active service and flew Hurricanes at the Battle of Athens. Ended the war at a rank of wing commander and served with Mi6 in the USA after being invalided out of the air force after re-occuring headaches caused from his head injuries. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Bill Deedes - (1913-2007) A journalist with the Morning Post before the war, he served as an officer in the 2nd Battalion of The Queen's Westminsters, one of the territorial units of the King's Royal Rifle Corps and won a Military Cross in Holland in 1945.

He was a minister in Harold McMillans government and was also editor of the Daily Telegraph from 1974-86 and continued to write for the paper until his nineties. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Ian Fleming - (1908-1964) Creator of James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was prior to WW2 a journalist for Reuters. He was made a lieutenant in the Naval Intelligence Division, rising to the rank of commander and worked with 30 Assault Unit who were teams of trained Commandos, specialising in targeting enemy headquarters, to secure documentation and items of equipment with an intelligence value. His codename was 17F. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - (1921- ) Served in the Royal Navy aboard HMS RAMILLIES in the Indian Ocean, then aboard HMS VALIANT where he was in charge of the searchlight control during the night action off Cape Matapan and was mentioned in despatches. His next ship was HMS WALLACE which took part in East Coast Convoys then the Allied landings at Sicily. Aboard HMS WHELP he was in Tokyo Bay when Japan surrendered.

VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Alec Guiness (1914 - 2000) - Actor who starred in films such as Bridge Over the River Kwai andStar Wars (Obi Wan Kanobi), He was in the Royal Naval Reserve during WWII and commanded a landing craft during the invasion of Sicily and Elba. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Alfred Hitchcock - (1899 - 1980) One of Britain's most famous film directors he spent most of the war making films in Hollywood, but during an extended stay in Britain he made two films for the Ministry of Information, both were in French and made for Free French Forces. In 1945 he acted as an adviser /editor for a British Army film about the Holocaust. Hattie Jacques - (1922-1980) Famous for her role as 'matron' in the Carry on films, it could be said this was art imitating life, as during WW2 she was a Red Cross nurse in London. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Vivien Leigh - (1913 -1967) Played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind and was awarded an Oscar.

During the war she was touring North Africa in 1943 to entertain the troops when she came down with a fever and was diagnosed with T.B Desmond Llewelyn - (1918-1999) Played 'Q' in 17 James Bond films. He was commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers and taken prisoner in May 1940 as part of the B.E.F. He spent the next 5 years as a P.O.W at Oflag IX-A/Z near Hesse in Germany. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Dan Maskell (1908-1992) was the BBC 'voice of tennis' and commentated on many finals between the likes of Borg, Navratilova, Becker, McEnroe etc. In wartime he was a rehabillitation officer in the RAF. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Spike Milligan - (1918-2002) Born in India during the Raj and brought up in Poona and then Rangoon in Burma, whilst his father served in the British colonial army.

During WW2 he served in the Royal Artillery as a gunner, in North Africa and Sicily, and was wounded by a mortar, suffering from shellshock and a damaged leg. In peacetime he became a leading comedian and writer, including the amusing book Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP & ANOTHER Patrick Moore - (Sir)(1923- 2013) has been presenting Sky at Night since 1957 and is in the Guiness Book of Records for being one of the worlds longest running TV presenters. He has been knighted for his work in Astronomy and is probably one of the most recognisable people in the UK. During the war he served in RAF Bomber Command as a navigator, from 1940 to 1945, after lying about his age to get in the RAF. His Fiancee was a nurse killed in the Blitz after the ambulance she was travelling in was bombed. He said later "There was no one else for me...

second best is no good for me...I would have liked a wife and family, but it was not to be." VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP David Niven - (1910-1983) Academy Award winning actor appearing in films such as The Guns of Navarone, Around the World In 80 Days, and The Pink Panther. He put his acting career on hold and served in the Commandos taking part in the Normandy Landings. He is quoted as saying to his men in the thick of action "It's all very well for you chaps, but I'll have to do this all over again in Hollywood with Errol Flynn!" VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Laurence Olivier - (1907 - 1989) Considered one of the greatest actors of all time, he was a Lieutenant in the RN Reserve Fleet Air Arm, and although he clocked up 200 flying hours was not called up to serve as a pilot. Toured with ENSA near the end of the war to entertain troops.

George Orwell (Real name - Eric Arthur Blair) - (1903-1950) Author of 1984 and Animal Farm, he was born in India during the British Raj, then spent some time as a colonial policeman. During the war he was in the Home Guard in London and put two men from his unit in hospital after mishandling a mortar. After his home was ruined by a V1 bomb he rescued his favourite books and carted them off in a wheelbarrow. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP John Pertwee (1919 - 1996) - Played the role of Dr Who between 1970 and 1974 and also Worzel Gummidge. He was a sailor in the war years and spent some time working in Naval Intelligence. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Ronald Searle - (1920- 2011 ) A famous artist, cartoonist and creator of St Trinians. In 1942 he was taken prisoner by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore.

He recorded life in the POW camps including Changi in a collection of drawings and kept them under the mattresses of prisoners dying of Cholera, so the Japanese prison guards would not find them. They can now be viewed in the Imperial War Museum, London. After the war he moved to France and has since been awarded their highest honour, the Legion d'Honeur. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Ian Smith - (1919-2007) Prime Minister of Rhodesia until Zimbabwe independence. Served with distinction as a fighter pilot in the RAF. His Hurricane crashed on take off in Egypt and he buckled his back, broke his leg, jaw and shoulder and required 6 months plastic surgery for facial injuries. After recovery he flew spitfires over Italy. In the Po Valley while strafing German forces he was shot down and parachuted safely. He was given refuge by resistance groups. After 5 months assisting them he and three other servicemen hiked to Allied lines over the Maritime Alps, a journey that took 23 days.

VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Peter O'Sullivan - (Sir) (1918- 2015) Known as the 'voice of horse racing' and for years was the main commentator for the Grand National. In his early years he suffered from severe asthma and illness and was graded unfit for military service. However, he became a driver for stretcher bearer parties dodging falling bombs and destruction throughout the Blitz and became known for his 'devil may care' attitude. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Eric Sykes - (1923- 2012 ) Popular post war comedian and comedy writer, one of his best known creations was 'The Plank' a wordless, slapstick routine. He was a wireless operator with the rank of Leading Aircraftman in the RAF during the war. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Denis Thatcher - (1915-2003) (Sir, MBE) Became the first male consort to the Prime Minister of the UK, when Margaret Thatcher won the general election of 1979. He was a an officer in the Royal Artillery and took part in the invasion of Sicily and later Italy. He was twice mentioned in dispatches.

VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Alan Whicker - (1921- 2013) Famed for his travel documentaries 'Whickers World' and his smooth debonair style, he cut his teeth in broadcasting in the thick of action. He was part of the Army Film & Photo Unit during WW2 and travelled right up through Italy and spent many weeks trapped in Anzio. In recent years he filmed an excellent TV documentary called 'Whickers War', where he retraced his wartime footsteps, recalling memories as he travelled. Such was his fame in the 1980's he even became part of Cockney rhyming slang, "Keep your Alans on!" as in Alan Whickers / Knickers. Here he is in an amusing un-pc 80's Barclaycard ad. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Kenneth Wolstenholme - (1920-2002) Will forever be remembered for his words "Some people are on the pitch... they think it's all over... it is now!" Football commentator who covered the 1966 World Cup win by England at Wembley.

During the war he was a pilot in RAF Bomber Command and flew 100 missions over Germany, including some as part of the night Pathfinder squadron. He was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) and Bar. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Kenneth Williams - (1926-1988) Another famous Carry On actor, and comedian known for his witty raconteur. At 18 he signed up and was in Bombay as part of the Royal Engineers survey section when he made his first appearance on stage as part of the Combined Services Entertainment. VIEW YOUTUBE CLIP Find out what famous British sportsmen did during the war HERE Find out what famous Americans did during the war HERE Dad's Army Dad's Army 2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection . Related subjects: Television Dad's Army The characters of Dad's Army (left to right): Private Pike, Private Frazer, ARP Warden Hodges (front), Private Godfrey, Captain Mainwaring (front), Private Walker, Corporal Jones and Sergeant Wilson Genre No.

of episodes 80 Dad's Army was a British sitcom about the Home Guard in the Second World War , written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series starred several veterans of British film, television and stage, including Arthur Lowe (1915–82), John Le Mesurier (1912–83), Arnold Ridley (also a veteran playwright; 1896–1984), John Laurie (1897–1980) and Clive Dunn (1920--). Relative youngsters in the regular cast were Ian Lavender (1946--) and James Beck (1929–1973), the last dying suddenly part way through the programme's long run despite being one of the youngest cast members. Popular at the time and still repeated, it was voted into fourth place in a 2004 BBC poll for Britain's Best Sitcom. Previously, in a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, it was placed thirteenth.

Origins Originally intended to be called "The Fighting Tigers", Dad's Army was based partly on Jimmy Perry's experiences in the Local Defence Volunteers (later known as the Home Guard), the film Whisky Galore!, and on the work of comedians such as Will Hay and Robb Wilton. Perry wrote the first script and gave it to David Croft while working as a minor actor in the Croft-produced sitcom Hugh and I, originally intending the role of the spiv, Walker, to be his own. Croft was impressed and sent the script to Michael Mills, head of comedy at the BBC. After addressing initial concerns that the programme was making fun of the efforts of the Home Guard, the series was commissioned. Situation The show was set in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-on-Sea, on the South Coast of England. (though it was mostly filmed in and around Thetford, Norfolk ). Thus, the Home Guard were in the front line in the eventuality of an invasion by the enemy forces across the English Channel , which formed a backdrop to the series.

The first series had a loose narrative thread, with Captain Mainwaring's platoon being formed and equipped - initially with wooden guns and LDV armbands, and later on full army uniforms (the platoon were part of the The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment). The first episode, The Man and the Hour, began with a scene set in the "present day" of 1968, in which Mainwaring addressed his old platoon as part of the contemporary "I'm Backing Britain" campaign. The prologue opening was a condition imposed after initial concerns by Paul Fox, the controller of BBC 1, that it was belittling the efforts of the Home Guard. After Mainwaring relates how he had backed Britain in 1940, the episode proper began; Dad's Army is thus told in flashback, although the final episode does not return to the then-present. Later episodes were largely self-contained, albeit referring to previous events and with additional character development.

Since the comedy was in many ways dependent for its effectiveness on the platoon's failure to participate actively in World War II, opposition to their activities had to come from another quarter, and this generally showed itself in the form of Air Raid Patrol Warden Hodges, although sometimes the Verger or Captain Square and the Eastgate platoon. However the group did have some encounters related to the war such as downed German planes, a U-boat crew, parachutes that may have been German, and German mines. The humour ranged from the subtle (especially in the relationship between Mainwaring and his sergeant, Wilson, who also happened to be his deputy at the bank) to the slapstick (the antics of the elderly Jones being a prime example). Jones had several catchphrases, including Don't panic!, They don't like it up 'em, Permission to speak, sir, and talk about the Fuzzy-Wuzzies. Mainwaring said Stupid boy, in reference to Pike, in many episodes. The first series occasionally included darker humour, reflecting the fact that, especially early in the war, members of the Home Guard were woefully underequipped and yet still prepared to have a crack at the German army.

A poignant moment to this theme occurs in 'The Battle Of Godfrey's Cottage' episode, during which the platoon believes an invasion to be taking place. Mainwaring and a few volunteers decide to stay in the village to hold off any German advance so information can be relayed back by the rest of the platoon; "Of course, that will be the end of us." says Mainwaring, "We know sir." replies Frazer, before getting on with the task in hand. Characters Main characters Captain George Mainwaring , pronounced "Mannering" ( Arthur Lowe) - the pompous - if essentially brave and unerringly patriotic - local bank manager, Mainwaring appointed himself leader of his town's contingent of Local Defence Volunteers. Of the platoon, he and Joe Walker were the only adult members with no prior combat experience, and, therefore, had no medals - a fact which sometimes caused tension with the other members of the Home Guard.

He did, however, serve in the British Army of occupation in France, "during the whole of 1919 - somebody had to clear up the mess." Although an ensemble piece, the series focused particularly upon Mainwaring, who has invested all his efforts into the platoon as a way of escaping from an unhappy marriage to Elizabeth, daughter of a Bishop, and a stalled career at the bank. Sergeant Arthur Wilson ( John Le Mesurier) - a diffident, upper-class bank clerk, Wilson was nonetheless Mainwaring's inferior in the bank and on parade; his suave, understated social superiority, public school education and handsome looks led to a certain amount of jealousy on Mainwaring's part. During World War I he fought in the Royal Artillery at Mons, Gallipoli and the Somme. In the last episode he revealed that he had been a Captain. Lance-Corporal Jack Jones ( Clive Dunn) - born in 1870, Jones was an old campaigner who had participated, as a boy soldier, in the campaign of Kitchener of Khartoum in the Sudan between 1896 and 1898, and also fought in World War I .

By 1940 he worked as the town butcher, which occasionally enabled him to supplement his superiors' meat ration. Jones was leader of the platoon's first section. He has a story for every occasion, and will never hesitate in telling it, regardless of how long-winded or irrelevant it is. Despite being the oldest member of the platoon, Jones demonstrates an almost boyish enthusiasm for combat and is the first to volunteer for anything, no matter how ill-advised that may be. Private Joe Walker ( James Beck) - a black market " spiv", Walker was the only fit, able-bodied man of military age in Walmington-on-Sea's home guard. His absence from the regular armed forces was due to a corned beef allergy, evidenced in the episode "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Walker". Mainwaring often turned a blind eye to his profiteering as he could sometimes supply the platoon (and Mainwaring) with useful items. On more than one occasion, Walker's willingness to use underhand tactics allowed Mainwaring's platoon to triumph over rivals in the Home Guard, Army and ARP. He was disciplined several times by Captain Mainwaring for making jokes at inappropriate times.

Private Frank Pike ( Ian Lavender) - a cossetted mother's boy and often the target of Mainwaring's derision ("Stupid boy!"), Pike was a junior bank clerk. He called Wilson "Uncle Arthur", and although never explicitly stated, it was often implied that Wilson and Pike's mother were having a relationship. It was also occasionally suggested that Wilson was Pike's father (although the writers only acknowledged this in interviews after the programme ended). He frequently threatens to set his mother on Mainwaring or Wilson whenever he is shouted at or forced to do anything he doesn't want to do. Private James Frazer ( John Laurie) - a dour Scottish coffin maker and a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy who fought at the Battle of Jutland (although his main duty was cooking), Frazer was tight with money, had wild staring eyes, and was known for issuing regular pronouncements of doom. In the early episodes Frazer was the keeper of a philately shop, but by series four the writers had decided that he should become the local undertaker, in keeping with his gloomy nature.

He sometimes led rebellions against Mainwaring and was the only member of the platoon to be portrayed as a villain in episodes such as A Soldier's Farewell and The Two and a Half Feathers, though for the most part he was loyal and well-intentioned. Private Charles Godfrey ( Arnold Ridley) - the platoon's medical orderly, who had served in World War One as a conscientious-objecting stretcher bearer, winning the Military Medal before becoming a tailor at the Army and Navy Stores. Godfrey was an amiable, vague, lifelong bachelor who lived with his sisters Dolly and Cissy in an idyllic cottage, and was a martyr to his weak bladder, leading to many requests to be "excused". He was very loyal to Captain Mainwaring, except on one occasion when he took part in a plot to make Mainwaring's feet hurt. ARP Warden Bert Hodges ( Bill Pertwee) - the platoon's major rival and nemesis. An uncompromising, grumpy greengrocer by day, and pompous and officious Chief Air Raid Warden by night, he relishes in teasing the platoon when they are caught in sticky situations.

His nickname for Mainwaring is "Napoleon". Mrs. Mavis Pike ( Janet Davies) - Pike's mother and Sergeant Wilson's lover. She was fiercely protective of Pike, to the point that she was accused of "mollycoddling" - not without justification - by Captain Mainwaring. Reverend Timothy Farthing ( Frank Williams) - the effeminate vicar of St. Aldhelm's Church, he shares his church hall and office with Mainwaring's platoon, much to his dismay because he never gets to use it when he needs it. Maurice Yeatman ( Edward Sinclair) - Mr. Yeatman was the verger at St. Aldhelm's church and head of the Sea Scouts group, and was often hostile to the platoon. Labelled a "troublemaker" by Jones, he is ridiculously loyal to the vicar, and his good friend Mr. Hodges. Music The show's famous theme tune, " Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler?", was Jimmy Perry's idea, and was intended as a gentle pastiche of wartime songs.

It is not uncommon for people to assume that the song genuinely dates from the war (as the other music heard in the series does) but this is not the case. Perry wrote the lyrics himself, and composed the music with Derek Taverner. Perry persuaded one of his childhood idols, popular wartime entertainer Bud Flanagan, to sing the theme for a fee of 100 guineas. Flanagan died less than a year after the recording. The version played over the opening credits differs slightly from the full version recorded by Flanagan; an abrupt but inconspicuous edit removes, for timing reasons, two lines of lyrics with a different tune: "So watch out Mr Hitler, you have met your match in us, If you think you can catch us, I'm afraid you've missed the bus". Arthur Lowe also recorded a full version of the theme. The closing credits feature an instrumental march version of the song played by the band of the Coldstream Guards conducted by Trevor L. Sharpe, ending with the air-raid warning siren sounding the all-clear. It is accompanied by a style of credits that became a trademark of David Croft: the caption "You have been watching", followed by vignettes of the main cast.

The series is also notable for its use of genuine wartime songs between scenes, usually brief quotations that have some reference to the theme of the episode or the scene. TV episodes The television series lasted for nine series and was broadcast over a period of nine years, with eighty episodes made in total, including three Christmas specials and an hour long special. At its peak in the early 1970s, the programme regularly gained audiences of 18.5 million. There were also four short specials broadcast as part of Christmas Night with the Stars in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1972. The missing episodes A number of the early episodes of Dad's Army were wiped by the BBC, as was standard practice at the time. However, as a series thought to have commercial potential overseas, the first series was offered for sale to broadcasters by BBC Enterprises. To this end, 16 mm film recordings were made of the first six episodes by the BBC Engineering department before the master videotapes were wiped for re-use. In the event, series 1 sold very poorly and BBC Enterprises did not express interest in selling series 2 abroad - so no film recordings were made of any episodes for them.

"Sgt. Wilson's Little Secret" was recorded onto 35 mm film instead of videotape, either because it required additional editing (which was easier to perform with film before the advent of modern electronic editing methods) or because no videotape recording facilities were available on the day it was recorded. This inadvertently assured the episode's survival: being effectively a production made on film it fell within the BBC's then-current remit of keeping only filmed productions for posterity. Two other episodes from the second series were returned in 2001, ironically as 16 mm film recordings of the type believed not to have been made from the second series. It has since been established that the two episodes were film recorded to show to executives at Columbia Pictures during discussions on the structure of the Dad's Army feature film (see below). The other second series episodes are still missing and were probably lost forever once the original broadcast videotapes were wiped.

The only remaining (slim) hope is that the episodes may have been recorded during their original UK broadcasts by a person wealthy enough to afford an early videotape recorder such as a Shibaden or Sony CV-2000 machine, and also of sufficient means to be able to afford new tapes rather than wiping and reusing their existing recordings. The BBC is running a "Treasure Hunt" for the wiped episodes; they encourage anyone with copies to contact them at the Treasure Hunt Website. Tape wiping also affected the later, colour, series badly but recoveries of colour versions from overseas broadcasters such as in Australia and New Zealand have ensured there is only one casualty; "Room At The Bottom" from the third series. This episode exists as a 16 mm monochrome film recording prepared once BBC Enterprises resumed their interest in selling the series overseas. The film As was the case with many British sitcoms of that era, in 1971 Dad's Army was made into a feature film. Backers Columbia Pictures imposed what seemed arbitrary changes, such as recasting Liz Frazer as Mavis Pike and filming outdoor scenes in Chalfont St Giles rather than Thetford, which made the cast unhappy.

The director Norman Cohen, who was also responsible for the original idea to make the film, was nearly fired by the studio. Jimmy Perry and David Croft wrote the original screenplay. This was expanded by Cohen to try to make it more "cinematic"; Columbia executives made more changes to plot and pacing. As finally realised, two-thirds of the film consists of the creation of the platoon - this was the contribution of Perry and Croft - and the final third shows the platoon in action, rescuing hostages from the church hall where they'd been held captive by three German pilots. Neither the cast nor Perry and Croft were particularly happy with the result. Perry spent some time arguing for changes to try to reproduce the style of the television series, but with mixed results. Filming took place between 10 August and 25 September 1970, at Shepperton Studios and various locations. After filming the movie, the cast immediately returned to working on the fourth television series. The film's UK premiere was on 12 March 1971 at the Columbia Theatre in London . Critical reviews were mixed, but it performed well at the UK box office.

Discussions were held about a possible sequel, to be called Dad's Army and the Secret U-Boat Base, but the project never came to fruition. The stage show In 1975 Dad's Army transferred to the stage as a revue, with songs, familiar scenes from the show, and individual "turns" for cast members. It was created by Roger Redfarn, who shared the same agent as the sitcom writers. Most of the principal cast transferred with it, with the exception of John Laurie (he was replaced by Hamish Roughead). Following James Beck's death two years earlier, Walker was played by John Bardon. Dad's Army: A Nostalgic Music and Laughter Show of Britain's Finest Hour opened at Billingham in Cleveland on 4 September 1975 for a two-week tryout. After cuts and revisions, the show transferred to London's West End and opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 2 October 1975. On the opening night there was a surprise appearance by Chesney Allen, singing the old Flanagan and Allen song Hometown with Arthur Lowe.

The show ran in the West End until February 1976, disrupted twice by bomb scares, and then toured the country until 4 September 1976. Clive Dunn was replaced for half the tour by Jack Haig (David Croft's original first choice for the role of Corporal Jones on television). Jeffrey Holland, who went on to star in several later Croft sitcoms, also had a number of roles in the production. The radio series Many TV episodes were remade for BBC Radio 4 with the original cast, although other actors played Walker after James Beck's death. These radio versions were adapted by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles and also starred John Snagge as a newsreader who would set the scene for each episode. Different actors were used for some of the minor parts; Mollie Sugden played the roles of Mrs. Pike and Mrs. Fox for example. The pilot episode was actually based on the revised version of events seen in the opening of the film version rather than the TV pilot. The entire radio series has been released on CD.

Knowles and Snoad also developed a radio series It Sticks Out Half a Mile, which told the story of what happened to some of the Dad's Army characters after the war. It was originally intended to star Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier reprising their Dad's Army roles, but Lowe died shortly after recording the pilot episode, and Bill Pertwee and Ian Lavender were brought in to replace him for a 13-episode series Other appearances Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and John Laurie themselves made a cameo appearance as their Dad's Army characters in the 1977 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special. As Elton John is following incomprehensible instructions to find the BBC studios, he encounters them in a steam room. On leaving, Mainwaring calls him a "stupid boy".. Earlier, Le Mesurier, Laurie, Beck, Ridley and Lavender had appeared as guests in the 22 April 1971 edition of The Morecambe And Wise Show on BBC2 playing pirates to Lowe's captain in the Monty on the Bonty sketch.

The cast also appeared in a 1970s public information film, in character but set in the modern day, showing how to cross the road safely at traffic lights. A pilot episode for an American remake called The Rear Guard was produced by ABC and broadcast on 10 August 1976, based on the episode The Deadly Attachment. However, it failed to make it past the pilot stage. Awards During its original television run, Dad's Army was nominated for a number of British Academy Television Awards, although only won "Best Light Entertainment Production Team" in 1971. It was nominated as "Best Situation Comedy" in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Also, Arthur Lowe was frequently nominated for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" in 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1978. In 2000, the show was voted 13th in a British Film Institute poll of industry professionals of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes.

In 2004, championed by Phill Jupitus, it came fourth in the BBC poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom with 174,138 votes. Cultural impact The characters of Dad's Army and their catchphrases are well known in the UK due to the popularity of the series when originally shown and the frequency of repeats. Jimmy Perry recalls that before writing the sitcom, the Home Guard was a largely forgotten aspect of British defence in World War II, something which the series has certainly rectified. In a 1972 Radio Times interview, Arthur Lowe expresses surprise at the programme's success; "We expected the show to have limited appeal, to the age group that lived through the war and the Home Guard. We didn't expect what has happened - that children from the age of five upwards would enjoy it too". However, the popularity and impact of the series is as much down to the lovable and well crafted characters; Sergeant Wilson, for example, is a masterly exercise in understatement and Captain Mainwaring a clever portrayal of lower middle class pomposity. Each of the main characters are well executed by the proficient cast.

Underlying the comedy is the portrayal of a group of ineffective but decent and civilised people who embody British virtues, similar to wartime propaganda of the era. In popular culture Other productions have included characters resembling members of the Dad's Army platoon for comic effect. The 1987 movie Hope and Glory includes a scene in which members of the Home Guard, looking like characters from Dad's Army, bring an escaped barrage balloon under control. Similarly, characters called Mainwaring (Alec Linstead), Wilson ( Terence Hardiman) and a clerk similar to Pike appear in a scene set in a 1940s bank in an episode of the 1990s time travel sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. The central character, Gary Sparrow (played by Nicholas Lyndhurst), who is from the 1990s, is astounded to learn that the three are all members of the local Home Guard platoon, and sings some lines of "Who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler?" at them. Some of the characters have also appeared in the comic book Jack Staff in flashbacks to the hero's activities during the war. Several of Ben Elton's productions have featured characters inspired by Dad's Army.

In the Blackadder Goes Forth episode "Corporal Punishment", two minor characters named Corporal Jones and Private Frazer are introduced and many of the characters in the Ben Elton sitcom The Thin Blue Line can be compared with those of Dad's Army. Fowler's relationship with Grim is very similar to that of Captain Mainwaring to Warden Hodges, in that they are both on the same side yet enemies. Also, Constable Goody is rather like Private Pike in being a 'stupid boy' that irritates Fowler. Similar comparisons can be drawn from many of the minor characters. In the episode Rag Week, Fowler is briefly seen walking out of a shop called "Mainwaring's". In addition, Jones's catchphrase "Don't panic!" may have inspired Douglas Adams to use the same phrase on the cover of the fictional Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the radio series, book, TV series, computer game and film of the same name. Retrieved from " " This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia with only minor checks and changes (see for details of authors and sources) and is available under the

Question: Born in 1897, who was the only future Dad's Army cast member to serve in the Home Guard.?
Answer: JOHN LAURIE